Comprehensive assessment of red currant varieties in Altai

Red currant (Ribes rubrum L.) is a berry crop promising for cultivation in Siberia. The purpose of the work was to study the elements of productivity and biochemical composition of fruits in 17 varieties of R. rubrum of various origins of the VNIISPK breeding. This article presents the results of the study of red currant varieties selected by VNIISPK in the Altai. Most varieties are highly resistant to gall aphids, with the exception of ‘Valentinovka’, ‘Orlovskaya Zvezda’ and ‘Orlovchanka ' in some years, their damage was noted to a very weak degree. As sources of valuable biochemistry, the following varieties were identified: with a high content of soluble dry substances Asya, Bayana, Vika, Dar Orla, Marmeladnitsa, Osipovskaya; sugar Asya, Bayana, Roza; vitamin C Asora, Asya, Protein, Vika, Marmeladnitsa, sugar-acid index Asora, Orlovchanka, Roza. The varieties Asora, Asya, Bayana, Valentinovka, Vika, Dana, Dar Orla, Marmeladnitsa, Orlovskaya Zvezda, Orlovchanka, Osipovskaya, and Roza were identified according to the complex of economically useful traits (yield, large-fruited, biochemical composition, resistance to harmful organisms), which can be recommended for cultivation in the conditions of the Altai Ob region.


Introduction
Red currant (Ribes rubrum L.) is a berry crop promising for cultivation in Siberia, although the area occupied by it is much smaller than other berry crops. Red currant fruits are characterized by an optimal combination of vitamins, sugars, organic acids, pectin and nitrogenous matters, which determines the possibility of their wide use in medical and dietary nutrition, consumption in fresh and processed form [1][2][3].
Red currant is drought-resistant and weakly susceptible to damage by diseases and pests. Plants of R. rubrum in comparison with R. nigrum L. have a longer generative period and can bear fruit for up to 25 years with proper agricultural techniques. All these qualities characterize red currant as a berry crop, valuable for gardening [4][5].
Research on the introduction and selection of red currant in the last few decades has significantly intensified in Russia, the CIS countries and the world as a whole. A significant number of varieties of domestic and foreign selection have been created [6][7][8][9][10]. Currently, there are more than 160 varieties of red currant in the world. At the same time, the State Register of the Russian Federation includes 42 varieties of red currant, 10 -white currant, of which for the European part of Russia 12 varieties (28.6%) of red currant and 1 variety (10.0%) of white currant of the VNIISPK breeding -the leading center of R. rubrum domestic breeding; for the West Siberian region, which includes Altai, 19 (45.2%) varieties of red currant are included, of which 9 (21.4%) are of the VNIISPK breeding [11]. The prospect of involving red currant forms from different geographical zones in breeding is emphasized by many authors [12][13][14][15]. The selection of varieties adapted to local conditions is a prerequisite for increasing the crop productivity. Therefore, the study of the biological characteristics of R. rubrum varieties in the Altai region is of particular relevance. The purpose of the work was to study the elements of productivity and biochemical composition of fruits in 17 varieties of R. rubrum of various origins of the VNIISPK breeding.

Materials and methods
The work on variety testing is carried out in the FSBSI FANCA "NIISS" Department in accordance with the Program and methodology of variety research of fruit, berry and nut crops [16].  (Table 1).  The varieties Asora, Asya, Valentinovka, Dana, Dar Orla, Orlovskaya Zvezda, and Roza with an average berry weight of 0.5-0.9 g and a maximum of 1.1-1.6 g were distinguished by their large-fruitness.
The 12 varieties Asora, Asya, Bayana, Valentinovka, Vika, Dana, Dar Orla, Marmeladnitsa, Orlovskaya Zvezda, Orlovchanka, Osipovskaya, and Roza were identified according to the complex of economically useful traits (yield, large-fruited, biochemical composition, resistance to gall aphids), which can be recommended for cultivation in the conditions of the Altai Ob region.